This invention relates to a connector having a structure which maintains a mated state of the connector with a mating connector.
For example, this type of connector is disclosed in JP 2009-32587A (Patent Document 1), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to FIG. 29, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector 92 according to a first embodiment which is mateable with a mating connector 95 along a front-rear direction (X-direction). The connector 92 comprises an inner case (housing) 920, an outer case (slider) 930 and a lock ring (regulation member) 940. Referring to FIG. 30, the housing 920 has an engagement arm (lock portion) 922, and the slider 930 has an engagement-release portion (release portion) 932. The mating connector 95 has a lock portion (mating lock portion) 952. Under a mated state where the connector 92 is mated with the mating connector 95, the lock portion 922 locks the mating lock portion 952. Under the mated state, the regulation member 940 is in abutment with a rear end of the slider 930 to regulate a rearward movement, or a movement in the negative X-direction, of the slider 930.
Referring to FIG. 31, first in a removal operation of the connector 92 from the mating connector 95, the regulation member 940 is rotated by a predetermined angle about an axis in parallel to the front-rear direction. This rotation operation enables the slider 930 to be moved rearward without regulation. Then, the slider 930 is moved rearward, so that the release portion 932 moves the lock portion 922. As a result, the mating lock portion 952 is released, and the connector 92 can be removed from the mating connector 95. As described above, the connector 92 has a structure which is formed of the lock portion 955 and the regulation member 940 and which maintains the mated state with the mating connector 95.
In addition to the aforementioned connector, Patent Document 1 discloses various connectors comprising regulation members different from one another. Each of the connectors disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires two operations, namely a first operation and a second operation, when the connector is removed from a mating connector. In the first operation, the regulation member is rotated or pulled up, for example, so that the slider is made movable. Then, the second operation moves the slider. These two operations are difficult to be performed continuously and smoothly. In other words, the removal operation of the connector from the mating connector is inconvenient.